Charles Dunn, completing his first term as Independence Township trustee, sees seeking a second as an obligation to the community.
‘I’m grateful to voters for my first term,? said Dunn, 46. ‘It’s given me an opportunity to gain substantial knowledge of how government works. I believe it’s my responsibility to run for a second term to have some continuity on the board.?
He ran for the board four years ago to help fulfill his civic duty, bringing his environmental, municipal, and real estate law experience to township government, he said.
‘I believe the board should be made up of a diverse group of individual thinkers who represent the community as a whole,? he said.
‘Technical knowledge of the law is my input. Others bring their different backgrounds.”
His law experience helped resolve the “keyholing” issue in the township with a new ordinance last year, he said.
‘Keyholing has been an issue before the board for some 25 years,? he said.
He also contributed to four years of successful union contract negotiation without arbitration, holding off development inconsistent with the township Master Plan, such as ORCO, and budget surpluses, he said.
‘Maintaining budget surpluses is important now that we know revenues will be decreasing along with property values,? Dunn said. ‘Independence Township is close to being a built-out community. It’s very important to have a surplus to pay for future needs and repay bonds.?
The township’s new Capital Improvement Plan is an important step, he said.
‘Now we can designate portions of the surplus to projects,? he said.
Projects include new township drains, park equipment, tennis courts, and pavilions, he said.
Dunn said he does not support hiring a professional manager, a key campaign issue this year.
‘There’s no real plan in place,? he said. ‘Even if there was a plan, the cost savings professed have been shown to be nonexistent.?
Changing township government should be by vote of the people in the general election, not the primary, he said.
‘They need to present a plan to the community, not unsupported political puffery aimed at getting individuals elected as a single issue,? he said.
Dunn grew up in Royal Oak and moved to Independence Township in 1996 to take a job as an environmental attorney in Bloomfield Hills.
‘My family always enjoyed a relatively rural setting than some of the traditional suburbs ? without the hustle and bustle of Southfield,? said Dunn, father of three.